Birth of a Hurricane
by Sunfreak
Summary: Ken has a question for the object of his affection, and old memories make it both harder and easier to ask. Shounen ai.


A/N: This fic was born, oddly enough, from an episode of "Friends." Go figure. The actual writing was done in one night, somewhere in between readings of OTHER Kensuke fics/Robert Parker's "Perish Twice," listening to Good Charlotte, watching lots and lots of TV/the extended edition of "The Fellowship of the Ring," and reading the backlog of the oh- so-delicious webcomic "Nova Next Exit." -^__^- I want Crive and Four to get married and have lots and lots of babies . . . never mind that this is physically impossible. But they'd be cute babies! Like lil' punk-rock brats! *_*  
  
Ahem. Focusing now. Kensuke, shounen ai, yadda yadda, we all know that's why you came anyway. Also, slightly choppy writing, because like I said, I've been reading Parker, and no one uses as many fragments as that man and still gets bestsellers out of 'em.  
  
Ken's POV. Enjoy. ^_~  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
"Birth of a Hurricane"  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
"No one could ever know me, no one could ever see me  
  
Seems you're the only one who knows what it's like to be me  
  
Someone to face the day with, make it through all the rest with  
  
Someone I'll always laugh with  
  
Even at my worst, I'm best with you."  
  
~ The Rembrandts  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
Silver.  
  
Pure, smooth, unbroken silver. Round and cool to the touch, like some kind of ice that can't melt.  
  
I watch the light glitter off it, sparking brightly against the velvet. A ring. Cold and unyielding, but standing for something warm and fulfilling. For love.  
  
Now, if only you'd say yes.  
  
I don't know how I should do this. Take you out somewhere nice, or somewhere romantic, or just sit you down to talk, or take you to bed and pamper you: lay you out and worship you, and tell you how much I adore you and give you everything you could ever want. I'll get down on my knees and beg if have to. Anything, to get a yes. To get to be the One.  
  
I remember the first time we kissed. It was in the digital world.  
  
We had fought. I had lost. And you were just standing there, in the rain, laughing, always laughing, grinning up at the heavens while they sobbed- the tears of an eternity drowning the earth. And I watched you, poetry singing in my mind even as I knew what I was. What I still am now, though I've learned restraint.  
  
Your friends had already passed through, your partner just a heartbeat ago. So I left my hiding place and grabbed your arm and kissed you. It was childish and clumsy, because that was what we were, after all. I wanted to be seductive or maybe a little scary, but even a "genius child" doesn't get things like that right on the first try.  
  
Even then, I knew that I wanted you. Knew that you would be perfect as my kaiserin, that you could be my match and mate so easily. And I wanted so badly to have you on my side. That you kissed back that time meant everything- but you still fought me. You still believed that I was wrong, despite the way we felt together.  
  
But sometimes, there were moments like those, where I caught you alone and we could talk, or touch, or kiss. Precious few moments- I could probably list each and every one if I had to, they were that rare.  
  
I was so proud of you, that you could fight like we were nothing to each other. I wasn't as good at it, though I tried to be. But I told you that you were delicious and used pet names almost instinctively. I kidnapped you the most often and hurt you the worst.  
  
But you still smiled at me when you could.  
  
People act like the Kaiser and I are different people. Only you ever understood. I AM the Kaiser. I will always BE the Kaiser. Only you knew that, and still loved me. Only you ever understood that I am evil, that I am dark and stained, and only you ever knew better than to try purifying me. To take away any part of a soul is to lose the person that it is. So I'm still Ken, and still wicked, but I don't act upon it because of you.  
  
Because I must become worthy of you. Because I must earn the right to your kisses, to your sacred touch. To you. I can't call it "redemption," but I can try.  
  
So I watch you.  
  
It's raining tonight, just like it was then. Then, it was fiercer- the birth of a hurricane, even. Now, it is gentle, but still soaks us both to the skin, even through our clothes. I should've worn a coat. You should've worn a shirt. We both should've worn shoes.  
  
I am so in love with you, I don't even care that I'm changing myself for you anymore. To be honest, I needed to change anyway. And I'm glad that you let me do it instead of making me do it. My foil, my rival. You were my enemy, once: now you're even more. The two of us will always have this dance, this desire to fight together.  
  
Even if you say no . . . even if I lose my new self . . . we'll always have that much.  
  
We are perfect enemies, because in the morning, we will always love each other. In the morning, we can wake up and call each other first thing, and know that we exist, and that we are loved. And we'll know, also, that if we want, we can have each other.  
  
We can have everything.  
  
I say your name. You look at me.  
  
And I ask the question.  
  
"Marry me, Daisuke?"  
  
You smile at me again. I think of cooling sheets and hot anger and clumsy kisses and so many stupid things that I've done, and something in me panics even as something else hangs on every move you make. I think I'm terrified.  
  
But your smile only widens, and you speak.  
  
"Sounds good to me."  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
* ende *  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
. : review. la. : . 


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